It is common to stack and package various products in a vertical configuration. For instance, it is known to package a refrigerated dough product in a canister of a fixed volume formed from composite paperboard which is spirally wound into a cylinder, with the refrigerated dough product being further proofed in the canister. In one known system, a shaped packer is used to cut hexagonal shaped dough pieces, such as biscuits, from a sheet of dough and direct the dough pieces into respective canisters traveling below the packer. This overall process can be used to effectively stack multiple dough pieces, such as 4-10 biscuits, in a single, substantially continuously indexed container at a high rate. However, packaging products in cardboard is actually, relatively expensive and, at least in connection with products having a small profit margin, can be cost prohibitive.
Mainly because of cost efficiencies and packaging versatility, vertical and horizontal form, fill and seal packaging systems have become increasingly popular, particularly in the food industry. For instance, vertical form, fill and seal systems have been used in connection with making sealed bags, such as potato chip and other types of snack bags, while horizontal form, fill and seal (HFFS) packaging systems have been known for use in effectively packaging other food products. By way of an example, a HFFS system can be employed to create product cavities or pouches in a lower film, with the pouches being filled with frozen dough products and sealed with an upper film. In any case, at least in certain circumstances, there can be stacking and other advantages associated with horizontally loaded packages.
Certainly, it is possible to make numerous products which can be directly packaged in a horizontal fashion. However, it is an aspect of the invention to form horizontally loaded packaging while retaining the efficiency of vertical product stacking during production. For instance, it is considered to be advantageous to enable various food products which are known to be vertically stacked and packaged, to actually be vertically stacked and packaged horizontally, such as in pouches made by an HFFS system.